THE GIG GUIDE

Concerts are my favourite thing. Like ever. There is nothing I would rather be doing than seeing one of my favourite bands live and I've been to quite a few since my first one at the tender age of 9 so I'd like to think of myself as a fairly experienced concert-goer. Last Friday I went to see All Time Low (yes, again - I talked about the first time here) and it got me thinking that maybe I should share my top tips for going to gigs...

1) Outfit

Making sure you're comfortable is one of the most important things at a concert. I tend to wear leggings or jeans, a t-shirt and bring a hoodie for when it's cold afterwards. Also, a pair of comfy trainers are a must because you'll be on your feet for a few hours and your feet will hurt. I wouldn't recommend wearing a skirt or a dress just because you don't want to worry about it flying up while you're dancing or jumping or rocking back and forth in a corner and crying because it's over.

2) Hair and makeup

Basically, keep your makeup simple and low-maintenance because concerts are hot and sweaty so there won't be a lot left on your face at the end. Same goes for hair. I tend to wear my hair in a ponytail or half up, half down; nothing too complicated that's going to flop in your face or need fixing every 2 minutes because that's just irritating.

3) Food and drink

Most concerts tend to start at around 7pm but don't skip dinner. Make sure you eat before you go and bring snacks like cereal bars with you because, especially if you're standing, you'll get tired and might start feeling a bit faint. Most venues will take the lids off your water bottles but try and hang on to the bottle or get a drink when you get inside because it'll be hot and you'll be moving around a lot so you need to stay hydrated.

4) Gadgets

I always bring my phone to gigs to take pictures and all that jazz so a portable charger is usually a good idea too because it's very annoying when your phone dies mid-gig. That said, it's far better to actually enjoy the concert rather than watching the whole thing via your phone. Obviously take some pictures, maybe film some bits, but make sure you do put your phone down and actually enjoy what's happening right in front of you.

5) Money

Concerts are expensive so always make sure you've got money on you for merch or food and drink. Just as a rough price guide; t-shirts tend to cost between £15 and £25, hoodies between £30 and £40, programmes between £5 and £10 and posters around £5 but it depends on where you are and who you are seeing.

6) Timing

If you've got a standing ticket, how early you get there depends how dedicated you are. It's not uncommon for people to camp outside the venue to be first in the queue but obviously that's not always convenient so a few hours before doors open should get you a decent place. If you've got seats then there's no need to be there that early but bear in mind that some merch may sell out quite early on.

Well that's just about all I can think of at the moment, I hope this was vaguely helpful and let you know what sort of thing to expect at a concert. If anyone's got anymore tips them please leave them below and we can all share our wisdom. N'aw, cute.